Shared Destinies
by ArSommers
Summary: [Alternate Ending to "The Reylo Chronicles"; begins at the second chapter of "We Always Knew"] Rey and Ben begin their life together on Endor.
1. Chapter 1

Rey lay curled up next to Ben as she stared through the open windows. From the elevated position of their treehouse she could see from their bed both the green from the forest and the shining stars in the sky. Rey smiled into her husband's shoulder as she nuzzled closer to him…

Suddenly, Ben stirred.

"Sorry," Rey rested her chin on his shoulder. "Did I wake you?"

Ben turned onto his side, now fully alert. "Are you okay? Is something wrong with the baby?"

Rey dropped her hand to her stomach at the mention of their unborn child. She was continually amazed by how Ben seemed to be even more anxious about becoming a parent than she was.

"I'm fine," Then, correcting herself, she said, "We're fine. Just having trouble sleeping is all,"

The worry lines on Ben's face disappeared as he visibly relaxed. "For a second I thought something had happened,"

Rey felt invisible Force-centric clouds of doubt settle around Ben. This wasn't the first time he'd caused ripples in the Force. Ben was all too aware of how he'd acted as an adolescent and adult, as well as the grief he'd caused his own parents. Despite how wonderful the couple's lives had been the last few months, Ben still felt things would go wrong, that the life he was now living was one he did not deserve.

To quell his anxiety in situations like these, Rey did what she felt best. Placing one hand on his chest, Rey pulled herself forward and gave Ben a kiss. She could feel the ripples around him begin to shudder, and eventually they dissipated altogether.

"Better?" Rey asked as she leaned back to look at her husband. She didn't need to see his expression to know what she'd done had helped-the Force told her all she'd needed to know-but she couldn't resist looking at him illuminated in the starlight.

Ben smiled. "Much,"

Rey adjusted her position to place her arm on his chest, and then she rested her chin on top. "Is there anything else I can do to help?" she asked in a serious tone.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Ben said. "Promise me that the First Order will leave us alone for the next six months…or six years… better yet, the rest of our lives,"

Rey was not one to make promises she knew were beyond her control. Instead, she reminded her husband, "We're safe here. A distant moon, covered by the shelter of treetops, surrounded by friends and Padawans…I couldn't think of a more secure location,"

Ben tucked a strand of hair behind Rey's ear. Even though she wore her hair down almost every night, it was always strange to view her in this fashion. Putting his hands around her waist, Ben whispered, "Come here, let's try to get some sleep,"

Rey obliged, placing her head where her arm had previously been as he pulled her close. She closed her eyes and listened to the miracle of Ben's heartbeat as his chest rose and fell with every breath.

It didn't matter if they were hiding on Endor, Takodana, or even Jakku. All that mattered to Rey was that she was in Ben's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Poe grumbled as his X-wing hovered above Endor's treetops. He'd only visited this moon once for Rey and Ben's wedding, and he certainly hadn't had as much difficulty finding a landing spot that time. _Then again, perhaps the ceremony was held at a further location,_ Poe thought bitterly. It was the same with any primitive forest: all the dense treetops tended to look the same.

"Let me know if you see an opening," Poe said to BB-8. The droid twittered a monotone response, indicating that he hadn't pinpointed anything yet. After fifteen minutes of searching Poe finally found a spot, albeit one that created a much longer hike to the Ewok village than he'd originally anticipated.

"I don't know how they do it," Poe said as he unfastened his seatbelt. "One day here and I already miss the sweet hum of machinery," Yet Poe was willing to suck it all up for Rey's sake. He loved her like a sister, and Poe didn't feel right not visiting when she was expecting her first child. Of course, he'd wanted to see her right away when he'd received the encrypted transmission, but the critical missions he'd been assigned wouldn't allow him. It wasn't like Poe could plead with the Resistance to let him visit Rey on a whim either. All they knew was that she was watching over the Padawans at an undisclosed location. Any and all circumstances surrounding Ben had not been disclosed.

"Perhaps one day all will be revealed," Luke once said to a disenchanted Poe, "But during war-torn years like these, distance can sometimes be the best option,"

As it turned out, distance ended up equating to one full day in an X-wing, followed by a forty-five minute hike. But it was worth every mile when he arrived at his destination.

Poe had barely entered the premises when Rey caught sight of him. She immediately stopped what she was doing and exited her tree-home to greet him. Wrapping her arms around her favorite pilot, she smiled from ear to ear and said, "It's good to see you again,"

"It's good to see you too," Poe said, slightly surprised. Never before had he received such an energetic hug from Rey. Perhaps the limited population of humans on Endor was getting to her. Even more surprising was when Ben greeted Poe with a hearty handshake.

 _Yup,_ he thought. _Has to be the isolation. That, or something in the air._

Supper consisted of salad, fruit, and freshly caught fish seasoned with garlic and herbs. Rey tried to hide her amusement when Ben told Poe how he'd caught AND prepared the main course. Her husband had come a long way from the time he'd barely managed to catch one fish, that night he first showed her how he used to trace stars in the sky.

After the small group caught up with each other's lives, the conversation turned to more contemporary matters.

"How much longer do you think it will be till the baby's born?" Poe asked, savoring the garlic taste in his mouth as he started in on his third plate.

"I'm six and a half months along, so two and a half more," Rey said.

"You sound so certain," Poe commented. "How can you know when you don't have…" Poe gestured his fork towards the wooden walls and furniture surrounding them "…modern technology?"

"Technology is not representative of everything," Rey said. A knowing look crossed over her face, one that Poe had seen many times on Luke's. Rey not be a Jedi, but she was knowledgeable in the ways of the Force all the same. "There are others ways to tell,"

"Really? I didn't know the Force could be used as a pregnancy test," Poe joked.

Nudging her friend under the table, Rey said, "It's not exactly like that. I knew the moment the baby…came into being. It's hard to explain, but I felt the presence of another life-force nearby. At first I was terrified," Rey looked at Ben. "I thought someone had found us, that perhaps the First Order was spying on us. It wasn't until the sickness began that I realized what had happened,"

"Interesting," Poe mused. "So, can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?"

"No," Ben said. "The Force doesn't give an all access pass to the knowledge of everything,"

"Have you two thought of names?"

"We were thinking Lucas if it's a boy," Ben said, "And Cela if it's a girl,"

"Cela," Ben tested the word. He knew where Lucas came from-an offshoot of Luke- but Cela, that name was unique. "How'd you two come up with that one?"

Rey was all too eager to explain. "From the word 'celadon'," she explained. "As in the color green,"

"Ah," Everything clicked into place. That made perfect sense, seeing Rey's love for the color of the forest.

BB-8 gave an affirmative beep, voicing his approval as well. Rey grinned. "Thank you," she nodded at the droid. "I'm glad you like the name as well,"

Poe gave an awkward cough. Perhaps now was the time to maneuver the conversation in the direction he'd been hoping to take it. "So," he started, "With a little intervention from Master Luke, I've been temporarily reassigned to a base on a nearby planet,"

"That's great to hear," Rey said. "I presume we'll get to see you more often then,"

"I'm hopeful. Now," Ben lowered his voice, his tone taking on one of seriousness. "I know this next year is going to be rough on the two of you. And while Endor is great place and all, you've got to admit it's a little, you know…primitive. I was talking with Master Luke and Chewie, and they thought it best if I drop by once in a while to make sure everything is okay by the three of you. So if anything happens, know that I can be here in a matter of hours. If you need anything for medical reasons or whatever, don't hesitate to call,"

"Thank you," Ben said, albeit a little curtly, "But I think we'll be fine here,"

Rey took her husband's hand. Ben had a tendency to grow impatient when people questioned his authority, whether it was intentionally or unintentionally.

 _We can provide for our child._ Rey could almost hear the manifestation of Ben's feelings form into words. _We don't need to be labeled a charity case._

Reaching out through the Force, Rey gave her own response: _Of course we can provide for our child, but to think we can survive on our own is foolish. If something were to happen-and I'm sure nothing will-it would be reassuring to know the Resistance will be there to help._

Ben physically turned to look at Rey. _The Resistance knows nothing of us. For all they know I've been killed halfway around the universe. How would you or Poe explain the baby?_

Poe stole a look at BB-8, who returned his own skeptical one-eyed gaze. Obviously there was some kind of secret marital conversation going on that they weren't a part of.

"One can never truly predict what the future holds," Rey said, replying to both conversations. "If something were to happen, then we'd appreciate any assistance you can provide Poe,"

Rey returned her gaze to Ben. _This isn't just about us anymore._ she reminded him. _It's about protecting our family, be it from the First Order, illness, or natural disasters. And if the time comes where we must reveal to the Resistance what we've brought into this world, then we will. And we will face the consequences, whatever they may be, together_

There was a pause, and then Ben gave Rey's hand a small squeeze. _I know._


	3. Chapter 3

Ben rolled over to find the other side of the bed empty. Opening his eyes, Ben saw an empty space where Rey should have been laying. It was the middle of the night; Rey should have been sleeping by his side. Unless…

Now wide-awake, Ben was on his feet and looking wildly around the room. Was this the moment they'd been waiting the last nine months for?

The clouds were thick that night, obscuring the moon and all starlight from the room. Ben reached out with the Force and noted that Rey was indeed nearby, or at least within a two-acre radius.

"Rey?" Silence. Ben made his way into the hallway, hoping she hadn't wandered too far. He wouldn't have put it past her to go off in an attempt to calm herself before her condition worsened.

"Rey?" His voice was louder now, more desperate.

"In here," Her voice floated around the corner from the nursery.

"What's going on?" Ben could barely see the outline of Rey sitting in the rocking chair. "Is it time?"

Rey looked up in surprise. "No, not yet,"

Ben let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he walked over, put his hands on her shoulders, and kissed the top of his wife's head. "Don't do that to me,"

Rey touched the top of his hand. "Sorry,"

Now that his eyes had more time to adjust to the darkness, Ben noticed the figure that Rey was clutching in her other hand. Kneeling down for a better look, he said, "Isn't that your pilot doll?"

Rey turned it over. "Yes,"

Ben put his arms around Rey. "What's on your mind?" he asked. Ben could just as easily reached out with the Force and found the answer himself, but he wasn't that kind of man anymore. Why take from others when they could freely give?

"I don't know what to expect," Rey confessed. "I've had this doll my whole life, and I remember growing up with it. But what I don't remember is growing up with my parents," Rey gave Ben a worried look. "What if I'm not good enough?" she asked. "What if I don't know how to be a parent because I never had any of my own?"

Ben was taken aback. She'd mentioned being nervous in the past-they both had-but he hadn't heard Rey make an admission like this before.

"Well," Ben started, "You love the baby,"

"Of course,"

"Then between the two of us, along with some guidance from those fuzzballs we call Ewoks, everything will fall into place," Ben said. "You held the world upon your shoulders for far too long Rey, but it won't be like that anymore. Anything we face, we face together. That's a promise,"


	4. Chapter 4

The newborn's cries began to fade as the infant was placed in her mother's arms.

"Girl," the Ewok midwife informed the new parents in broken Basic.

Rey stared at the baby in wide-eyed wonder. The child was a wonderful combination of her and Ben, though on a much smaller scale. Rey had no knowledge that human beings started this small, and she had no idea that she could feel so in love with one glance.

"She's beautiful," Rey said as she cradled Cela.

Ben was equally as amazed. For all the darkness he'd witnessed in the galaxy, never had he believed there could be something so pure, innocent, and full of unbridled potential. And that wonderful little being was theirs.

After a few moments, Rey turned to Ben. "Daddy," she said with a smile, "Would you like to hold Cela?"

Ben was speechless as he took his daughter in his arms. How could such a small person hold so much power over anyone without using the Force? Such was the way of unconditional love.

Rey rested her head on Ben's shoulder, soaking in these first moments as a family while the sounds of _Yub Nub_ floated through the windows. After all the turmoil they'd been through, they deserved to share this blissful happiness.

The End

[Again, thank you all for reading this series, I really appreciate it. If I create any one-shot spinoffs for "The Reylo Chronicles", I'll be sure to state as much in the summary.]

[If you would like to read a one-shot spinoff for the third story in "The Reylo Chronicles", I've titled it "Scars of the Past". For a sequel story to this alternate ending, you may enjoy "Remedies".]


End file.
